


witches only use magic in the dark

by oceanterminal



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: (at least in lena's eyes), F/F, Medieval Fantasy AU, alternatively:, and i intend to seduce her by getting naked and fighting a dragon, i think my crush is an ethereal being of light, in which lena is too busy softly angsting, meanwhile kara is the root of all gay, to take a step back and realise just how gay she actually is, witch!kara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2017-02-26
Packaged: 2018-09-27 01:33:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9944441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oceanterminal/pseuds/oceanterminal
Summary: There was something about the girl in blonde that gave Lena pause. A grin that was really too big for her face, eyes that crinkled in the corners in just the right way, the crease of her eyebrows as she hit the high note with perfect pitch – no. No, no, no. This was magic.---Lena Luthor has seen it all - the rise and fall of magic, of her brother, of her home. In the middle of the night, she leaves the chaos of her home behind and looks to the future for an opportunity to change things: it comes to her in the form of a girl wreathed in sunshine and with the stars at her command.





	

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first fic for supergirl,, it's been a long time since i've written for a new fandom, so i hope my grasp on them isn't too off - but i have some fun plans with this, i think! medieval fantasy aus never get boring, in my opinion, because there's an infinite number of ways you can spin them. hopefully, fighting dragons naked to seduce your witchy friend is a good one c:

The night was cool and the humidity was thick – a puzzling contrast, Lena thought. The stars didn’t seem to mind, though. They blurred their light a little and continued to shine through the mist onto the forested path beneath them. Nobody else was around, as far as she could sense. Which was a good thing, probably. The fewer people that saw her this close to Haven, the fewer who’d connect her to it. Lena was plenty ready to cut her losses with that world – had been for a long time but only as it began to crumble could she really bring herself to leave.

It was one of those very crumbles that brought her the crack into the wall that had allowed her to slip outside unnoticed. A haphazard disguise – dyed her hair black with ink, hacked it to shoulder length with a sword and donned clothes that looked decidedly plebeian – meant nobody would question her, probably. Well. Nobody had, in the end, and that was the important part. Which means she was free from Haven, free from the royal family, and most importantly free from _him._

The trees whispered threats, however, and the wind carried them to her ears and sent chills trickling down her spine like dewdrops. She was well aware of her place, here – a girl alone in the woods without a horse or a sword to protect her was nothing more than easy prey for bandits or rogues or pirates or worse. Still, she had no fear. Nothing had dared come near Haven in years; the last thing it would do for her was protect her as she protected herself from it.

Instead, Lena just walked in silence with her cloak pulled over her head, dagger concealed in her sleeve, chainmail wrapped around her chest softly clinking as she moves. No risks beyond what was necessary.

As soon as the morning light began to part the branches and warm her skin, she stopped. Sleep didn’t find her so much as she found it – specifically, beneath a willow tree and away from any prying eyes. She wasn’t far from the nearest town, so it would be only a brief walk before she found herself surrounded by civilisation once again. She wasn’t sure whether she was excited or not at the thought – the happy civilians she remembered from her childhood were faceless, and the gradual onset of despair that overtook Haven was fresh in her mind. Smiles and cheers had turned to tired eyes and mumbling, memories ruined. Lena didn’t particularly want to remember, anymore.

Her dreams let her forget – the soft embrace of happiness and memories left untarnished by insanity that tore his mind to shreds and rendered his memories fiction felt so real, so palpable. She could live in the past, where things were simple and she was young and the name Haven wasn’t poison on her tongue.

Tonight, however, Lena dreamt not of the past, but of the future – of a Haven that wasn’t in ruin, or a place she could create and call her own. The world was dangerous, and within the walls of her kingdom she would protect all those who sought protection. There would be no witch-hunts, no execution, no corruption. She was so far away from reality – what a _lovely_ place to be.

It wasn’t possible, she knew. The real world was a place that corrupted at just a mere breath and ruined everything brought before it. Still, she’d fight tooth and nail to bring about her dream, no matter the cost.

Lena woke to the afternoon sun splitting the leaves and shining in her eyes – she’d slept the day away, much to her relief. It was safer to travel at night. Waterwolves were the only threat this side of Opolis, and they were diurnal creatures. She might encounter a werebat or two, but they generally kept to themselves unless provoked.

With her sleep thoroughly interrupted, Lena rose to her feet and once again began to march. It was only a ten-minute walk until the village was in view – her stomach rumbled as the sound of people rose to ears and the smell of day-old bread rose to her nostrils.

Indeed, it felt like home once had.

Barebone Village was, much like the name implied, devoid of anything other than the bare essentials of living. There was a bakery, a well, a stable, a tailor’s store, and a tavern in the main street of town, with the other stores falling in a circle around it. It was spread out, unlike the bustle and cramped nature of Haven’s marketplace – each store had its own little gravel path leading to the door through the heat-baked grass. It was quaint, if nothing else. Villagers mulled about from store to store, but it seemed most of the noise was coming from the tavern – and so despite despising being in crowds, she made her way over there anyway.

The Barebone Tavern was noisy for a small village, though still much quieter than the castle has ever been. People tossed her a quick glance as she passed through the door, but turned back to their drinks as the music started up again, and they all started chanting lyrics Lena couldn’t really be bothered to try and decipher. The slurred words of the drunk were probably best left that way. She would have tried to make out the words of the bards who seemed to be leading the song, but the chanting of the men and women in the bar was too loud for her to see the point. They looked like a ragtag bunch – a girl in blonde was leading the chorus, her partner playing the melody on guitar, both dressed up in rags only a little worse than the townspeople. They both looked like they’d been travelling quite the distance – perhaps even all the way from Mestral, if you accounted for how they were practically covered in dirt. Lena wondered, briefly, why they hadn’t bathed yet, but she supposed that was probably what they were doing at a tavern – earning enough money to pay for a night’s accommodation and a quick bath. Still, though – there was something about the girl in blonde that gave Lena pause. A grin that was really too big for her face, eyes that crinkled in the corners in _just_ the right way, the crease of her eyebrows as she hit the high note with perfect pitch – no. No, no, no. This was magic. Lena had seen it for years and years in her brother – subtle manipulations she’d learnt to tell apart from the genuine gestures he made. There were always ways to tell – a slight shimmer, like the surface of water disturbed by the softest of breezes, or places where the lighting looked wrong, like the world hadn’t rendered correctly, or even just the sense of things being too real. Lena got all that and more from this bard – couldn’t help but stare as she sat down, then forcibly averted her eyes in favour of looking at the, in comparison, disappointing bartender. Lena did her best to smile and withstand the concerned looks she got from the other people sitting at the bar – it didn’t bother her too much, considering she’d been stared at all her life, but did remind her that if she were noticed, it’d be all over. Which caused a certain level of anxiety. Nothing she couldn’t handle, but she dug her fingernails into the table, regardless. Then again, that bard being a magic user was even more dangerous, probably – being a Luthor was a death sentence in the wrong place, but witches were almost universally hated.

(It was partly her fault, Lena reminded herself. She could have done something. She didn’t do anything.)

The song danced on for a little while, enough that Lena was able to grasp the melody just a little bit – it felt strangely pleasant to the ears, honey-like and sweet in a way that didn’t seem entirely human. She still couldn’t figure out the lyrics – wasn’t even sure when she’d started listening intently enough to try, but somehow she’d found herself entirely enraptured by the sound of it all. Somehow, the bard-witch came trailing into her mind again. What if the music was magic, too? It was so perfectly manufactured, so magic in tone and flawlessly executed, it just couldn’t be real.

The song came to an end almost abruptly, except the song ended perfectly, so maybe it was just that Lena wished it would have gone on a little longer. She’d have it playing through her head all night, magic or not, no doubt. The bartender – motley-faced and scruffy, younger than she’d have expected but perhaps he was just inheriting the family business – nodded in approval.

“Looks like you really got into it in the end there, lady,” he said, polishing a beer glass with a dirty cloth and setting on the table. It was still greasy, but Lena supposed that was just how taverns were. Not like she’d ever been to one before. He offered it to her, and she took it, not really sure if the smile on her face were genuine or not – but he seemed to take it as pleasant enough.

“Indeed, it was –“ Lena paused, struggling for words. Delightful? Distracting? “ – intoxicating.”

She nodded in approval of her own phrasing, as if that were exactly what she’d intended to say and not a significant level less dignified that she had meant for it to be.

“Well, our bard’s song isn’t the only intoxicating thing around here,” the bartender chuckled. Lena wondered, in all honesty, how exactly people managed to not feel awkward all the time. The way he’d just swatted off her comment was truly impressive. “Can I get you a drink?”

Lena balked – she’d never had alcohol in her life but what exactly else was she supposed to get at a tavern? Then again – it’d be rude to try and ask for information without at the very least buying something in exchange. Despite her hesitations, she nodded, and said, “Ah, yes please. Your finest, if you would.”

The bartender took the glass, nearly dropping it, and filled it from a barrel sitting behind the counter. Whatever it was, it was a curious orangey-brown colour, with foam bubbling over the top and a pungent odour. Lena suddenly began to regret her decision to come to the tavern at all, but she was already here and needed to see this through by causing as little disturbance as possible. Which was difficult, considering every other person was staring at her every other moment which – _anxiety spike_ – wasn’t great. Or good. Neither of the two, really.

“Have some good ol’ Barebone lager. I promise it’s not as barebones as it sounds,” the bartender said, pushing the glass over to Lena with a frankly awful pun. Some of the foam dripped onto the countertop, but the bartender either didn’t notice or didn’t care.

“Thanks,” Lena smiled, falsely, but either this bartender was as dense as they came or he was the most tolerant, patient person in the world. She suspected the former, but gave him the benefit of the doubt, and raised the glass to her lips.

“That’ll be three gold pieces, miss,” he said, cheerfully. Lena promptly spat the small amount of liquid that has passed through her lips all over the countertop. And the bartender. Wonderful.

_Three gold pieces? Really?_

“Aw, Donny, don’t be an ass. She’s new around here,” came a voice from her right. Lena slowly turned to find the positively _beaming_ face of the blonde bard who’d been singing until just a few moments before. Thankfully, she was composed enough to not scream or leap from her seat or anything ridiculous like that. She did, however, open her mouth and release a silent scream.

“Hey there, new person, I haven’t seen you around these parts before,” the bard waved. “Enjoy the song?”

There was something about her that seemed incredibly overfriendly, but, well – overfriendly wasn’t awful and Lena really, really didn’t want to draw attention so why was the shining star of the bar smiling at her like she was _flir_ –

“Oh, yes. It was intoxicating,” she said, and chuckled, and died internally. The bard, bless her, laughed alongside her as if that were a funny joke and not an awful failure to form a coherent sentence.

“I’m glad! You’re the first new person I’ve seen since I got here, so it was a little refreshing to see someone new enjoy our song,” she said, babbling away, and then extended a hand – “I’m Kara, by the way. What’s your name?”

“Lena,” Lena said, speaking before thinking, and died a second internal death because _what if she were recognised, what if they found out she was from Haven or worse, and –_

“Nice to meet you, Lena,” Kara beamed, hands folded in her lap but shoulders leant forwards, intent. “So what’re you doing here in Barebones? It’s not exactly the most charming place –“ Kara chuckled, “- but I hope you can _bare_ it.”

Lena nodded, bringing the glass to her lips once more and taking a sip – it tasted thick, malty, and completely unlike what she’d expected of a drink labelled a lager, but, well. It was better than giving the girl a bad reaction, or worse, _laughing_. Instead, Lena pressed her lips together, and gently moved on.

“I’m looking for somewhere to rebuild,” Lena relented, trying to keep as close to the truth as possible without revealing anything too juicy, “My home is not a home anymore, and so I’m looking for somewhere else to settle down.”

“Oooh,” Kara said, intrigued. The girl clasped her hands together – blinked blue once and then, “What sort of place are you looking for? Mestral is lovely in the summer, if you’re into a more farmland-type area, or if you’re looking to be in the hustle and bustle of the city, then Drer could be the place you’re looking for, or – “ The bard stopped herself, catching in her own overenthusiasm. “Well, I’ve been pretty much everywhere, so if there’s a particular place you want to know about, I probably know it. But, um,” Kara blinked, “anyway.”

Lena was – stunned, a little, but the sheer – _something_ emanating from the girl was nothing if not calming (and a little endearing, if she let herself admit it). It probably, definitely had to be magic. That would be the only reasonable explanation for why – why she was like this, and why the bard affected her so much. Still, she found herself caving into a smile anyway.

“And what about you?” Lena asked, genuinely curious now about this witch-bard who absolutely radiated, well, _radiance._ “You’re a travelling bard, yes?”

Naturally, she had her own suspicions about what exactly Kara witch-bard was doing near Haven, but she couldn’t come up with any concrete ideas and instead just let herself believe in the girl – who, for all her magic, seemed to be genuine. Perhaps that was a dangerous mentality to have when encountering a witch, but – well, Lena felt she had the right to consider herself an expert when it came to dealing with witches.

Kara nodded, grinning, and placed her water carefully on the desk before gesturing wildly with her hands.

“I’m a bard, yeah! Well, sort of – I’m not exactly the greatest at singing, so my sister and I kinda just travel around and do odd jobs for people.” She gestured to the mud all over herself. “We’ve been helping pull cows out of muddy trenches, recently. The rainy season was pretty relentless, and some livestock got trapped…”

Lena swallowed – that was unexpected. Odd jobs? Then again, with a little magic, most minor ventures would be a piece of cake. A little levitation, a little illusion magic – easy. Which didn’t really explain why the two of them were covered in mud despite having magic abilities, but – Lena didn’t really know the ins and outs of how and why magic worked. Her brother had tried to explain it once when she was small, but it had turned her head inside out and they’d never discussed it again. When she was older, more ready to handle things, he was already too far gone to want to explain anything to her. Despite this, she’d never been afraid of magic. He’d shown her time and again it was a thing of beauty, the moral purpose of which was dictated by who chose to use it. She’d understood that well by the time Haven had fallen – felt no reason to hold anything but the smallest of grudges against the tool that saw the fall of her everything for the second time. But the castle had fallen and she was free for once, so – why not enjoy the freedom, a little bit?

“Where are you headed next?” she asked, curious. It was magic-induced, surely, but something about the girl had Lena feeling at ease. Comfortable, even, despite the threat of her finding out who she was and condemning her for it – just had to mention her name and she’d be done, gone before she was out the door, she’d drown in the crowd, she’d _drown –_

Lena finds it in herself to focus directly on the girl in front of – smile shining like a sunbeam even though it’s dusk, eyes sparkling like the sea even though they’re well, well inland, jaw curve soft and rounded - Kara glanced upwards in thought, then, “Probably the Spine. We’re looking to head through Drer on the way to Balderich, so the Spine is the fastest shortcut. Doesn’t take us through too many towns, but we did hear of a couple travellers passing through, so maybe they’ve got work for us.”

Lena nodded – Drer was the biggest city in Opolis, lain along the coastline somewhere northwards, and where she’d intended to head all along, but – ah. A plan formulated in her head – what could be better than interesting company and the chance to learn more about this curious, curious Kara witch-bard? Lena wanted to know what lay behind the sparkles and shimmering layer of magic Kara held over herself. And so, she reached out a hand.

 “Kara,” she said, looking the girl in the eyes. “Will you escort me to Drer City?”

“Uh – “ Lena’s question caused the girl to pause, falter in her overbubbly, overeager demeanour. “I – I, mean, sure– “

Lena retrieved a small bag from her cloak, picked out a few gold pieces and placed them on the bartop – watched Kara’s eyes widen before the girl took a moment to breathe.

“You don’t need to pay us – we’re happy to escort you for free,” Kara said, nodding slowly. “It’s not trouble, honestly.”

Lena raised an eyebrow, looked for a sign of monetary lust in the girl but couldn’t find a damn thing. Either her ability to see through magic was failing her, or the girl was really just that well-meaning. Well, Lena thought, it’d be an interesting journey either way, would it not? She withdrew the coins back into the bag and hid it away again.

“Then, at least let me buy you a meal. If you’re going to escort me, I can’t stand by and not reward you in some small way,” Lena offered, hoping to entice the girl with the promise of food. She doubted tavern food was any good, but, well – better than nothing.

“Well,” Kara began, sheepish, but was cut off by the brown-haired girl suddenly leaning over. Had she been here – listening the whole time? Lena felt slightly unsettled at just how focused she’d been.

“We accept,” the brown-haired girl said, already calling the bartender over to order. Lena blinked. Well then.

“There you have it,” Kara said, shrugging and beaming sunlight again, still a tad embarrassed if the flush in her cheeks was anything to go by. “Thank you,” she said, softer this time. “It’s very kind of you.”

Lena shook her head – “No, it’s kinder of you to offer me a free escort to Drer. It’s a three-day trip through the Spine, is it not?”

Kara nodded, pulled a face, shrugged again, and Lena found a laugh rise to her lips, corners of her mouth curving upwards.

“I look forwards to when we set off, Kara,” she said, making eye contact. Kara blinked, blinked, smiled.

“Me too,” the bard offered, flush fading and replaced with that radiance again.

The bartender cleared his throat – “So, are you going to pay for that drink?”

“Ah –“ Lena fumbled for coins, spilled out three copper on the table in the most-least composed fashion she could muster. “Here.”

“Thanks,” the bartender said, flatly, and returned to Kara’s companion, who was pointing out something expensive on the menu. Not that Lena wanted for money, but – still, it was a complete change in personality from the bubbly, probably too-genuine Kara.

Well, Lena mused, at the very least, she’d never get bored.

(Not that she thought she’d get bored of Kara any time soon, anyway. No, not for a long while yet.)

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> ...right, so, the dragon hasn't shown up yet, but it will i promise ;;  
>  anyways i hope you enjoyed this? thank you for reading!! feedback is always welcome especially bc this is my First Fic for supergirl/supercorp....but yeah idk when the next chapter will be up, hopefully soon as i have a day off from work on tuesday so i can use all of that to write nwn!! see you then,,


End file.
